Former Georgetown tennis coach charged in college admission scheme

Gordie Ernst, who coached the Georgetown Hoyas men’s and women’s tennis for 12 years, was among 50 people charged by the FBI in a national, high-profile college admissions cheating scheme.

The charging documents, unsealed Tuesday, accused Ernst of taking bribes to submit to Georgetown “fake” tennis recruits who used fake profiles created by Rick Singer, the head honcho of the scheme, according to Sports Illustrated. The bribes were reportedly in the six figures.

Recruited athletes often face an easier admission process than general applicants.

Ernst resigned from Georgetown last summer and is now the head coach at the University of Rhode Island.

The press release on Georgetown’s website announcing Ernst’s resignation last year appears to have been taken down Tuesday.

Actresses Lori Laughlin and Felicity Huffman were among the parents charged in the scheme.

Update: Georgetown University spokesperson Meghan Dubyak released the following statement Tuesday:

“Georgetown University is deeply disappointed to learn that former Tennis Coach Gordon Ernst is alleged to have committed criminal acts against the University that constitute an unprecedented breach of trust. Ernst has not coached our tennis team since December 2017, following an internal investigation that found he had violated University rules concerning admissions. Georgetown cooperated fully with the government’s investigation. We are reviewing the details of the indictment and will take appropriate action.”